Pope Francis’ preaching style is low-key and mostly private

Pope Francis issued a powerful call for the protection of the environment and of society's most vulnerable during his formal installation Mass at the Vatican, while qualifying his papal power as a “service” to the church and to humanity. RNS photo by Andrea Sabbadini

VATICAN CITY (RNS) One of Pope Francis' innovations that has mostly remained off the radar screens so far: Every day at 7 a.m., he celebrates Mass with Vatican workers, and people are clamoring to learn more about his simple (and popular) homilies.

Alessandro Speciale has been covering the Vatican since 2007 and wrote for Religion News Service from 2011-2013. Born in Rome, he studied literature at the Scuola Normale Superiore in Pisa, Italy, and journalism at City University, London. He has appeared as an expert on Vatican affairs on CNN, BBC World and Al Jazeera English.

It would be “nice” if Pope Francis would be a little more forthcoming about speaking out against the torture of Christians and the burning of their churches. Also, he could mention the same as to what’s happening against Buddhists and Hindus.

Benedict XVI had a better sense about Islam’s desire to take over Europe. No one has learned from what happened to the Armenians a predecessor to the holocaust.

Leo, perhaps you will see in today’s canonization rites conducted by Pope Francis something of a reply to your remarks about speaking out against religious intolerance. He canonized hundreds of Italians who had been beheaded for their failure to accept Islam and reject Christianity.

Benedict had been pope for some time before making his remarks at Regensburg. Francis has been pople for fewer than two months.

osita agodi

I thank the lord for giving the church pope francis I so much love him